The two sides were unable to come to terms on a long-term deal before Monday, which is the deadline for teams to use the franchise tag, but will presumably keep working towards a deal. The use of the tag on the wide receiver means that tight end Julius Thomas is headed for free agency if the Broncos do not re-sign him before March 10.

The Broncos are very healthy heading into Week 7, with Ball the only player on the active roster missing the game due to injury. All the team's players listed as probable on the final injury report are active, including running back Juwan Thompson (knee), linebacker Corey Nelson (hamstring), kicker Brandon McManus (groin) and defensive backs Omar Bolden (groin), David Bruton (ankle) and Chris Harris (knee).

McManus lost his job to Connor Barth in Week 13, after connecting on just 9 of 13 field goal attempts this season. Barth is expected to continue handling field goal duties, while McManus is expected to handle kickoffs for the Broncos.

Danny Mason

No Updates

Quinton Carter

News

The Broncos made several roster moves on Saturday, according to the Denver Post. The Broncos placed running back Montee Ball (groin) and safety Quinton Carter (knee) on season-ending injured reserve in order to clear roster spots for linebacker Danny Trevathan (knee) on the 53-man active roster and tight end Dominique Jones on the practice squad.

Injury

Knee - IR. Out for season

Montee Ball

News

Broncos running back Montee Ball, limited to five games last season by a groin injury, promised he'll return "ready to win the job," reports ESPN.com. Ball was the starter entering the 2014 season, but in 2015 he'll likely vie for a backup role behind C.J. Anderson, who went to the Pro Bowl.

Ball also must compete with Juwan Thompson and Ronnie Hillman in the crowded backfield. Ball was ineffective before getting hurt, averaging 3.1 yards per carry.

"Hopefully I can be back in Denver because this is the place I want to be and the only place I want to be," Unrein said. "Only time will tell, but it's been a good offseason. It hasn't snowed too much—it's snowing tonight, obviously, but it's just good to be in Colorado, no matter what it's doing outside."

Unrein has spent all five seasons in the league with the Broncos, totaling 49 tackles in 54 games. He only played eight games in 2014.

"I had Kubiak my rookie year when I was down in Houston—great guy, great motivator," he said. "Unfortunately, I wasn't good enough my rookie year to stick on that team but hopefully I'm good enough this time to stick on this team. The D-line coach, Bill Kollar, great motivator. He gets anyone to work for him. Blood, sweat and tears, as they say, for that guy. So I'm looking forward to it, and hopefully be here in Denver next year."

"We still like Sylvester, we think there's still a lot of potential there, and we are not sure that he has scratched it yet. If there's any guy that can get it out of our players it's our new defensive line coach Bill Kollar," Elway said. "So Sylvester is going to get tested, and will get pushed. And I think it will be a good thing for Sylvester."

Williams, a first-round draft pick in 2013, registered 21 tackles (17 solo) last season for the Broncos. He had two sacks his rookie year.

Connor Barth

News

Broncos kicker Connor Barth made both of his field goal attempts as well as his only extra point attempt in Denver's 24-13 loss to the Colts Sunday.

Barth made field goals from 45 and 41 yards respectively. He finishes the year going 17 of 18 on field goals and 16 of 16 on extra points in six games as a Bronco.

When asked, Bears general manager Ryan Pace wouldn't make any commitments to wide receiver Brandon Marshall moving forward, according to the team's radio network sideline reporters. Per the Miami Herald, Pace was "clearly unenthused" about Marshall leaving the team to tape episodes of Showtime's "Inside the NFL."

"Football needs to be the No. 1 priority," Pace said. "We've got to analyze everything and it goes beyond the players."

Marshall had his season cut short in Week 14 when he was rushed to the hospital with rib and lung injuries. He finished the year with 61 catches for 721 yards and eight touchdowns. Marshall has seven 1,000-yard receiving seasons, including two with the Bears. He has never made the playoffs during his nine-year career.

Andre Caldwell

News

In an uncharacteristically meager offensive performance by the Broncos in St. Louis on Sunday, several skill position players provided small contributions.

Sanders and the Broncos were eliminated by the Colts in the AFC divisional round. Since that loss, the Broncos' coaching staff has been overhauled, with coach John Fox and offensive coordinator Adam Gase heading to Chicago.

"Well, Gase is definitely in Chicago right now," Sanders said. "And Peyton says he's going to come back, but I'm not really worried about it, I really just want to win a Super Bowl. So that is all that is on my mind."

Gary Kubiak was hired to take Fox's place in Denver, and Sanders said that if Manning doesn't return, backup Brock Osweiler would fit "really well" in the team's new offensive scheme.

"Yeah, I think Brock is a quarterback that is on the rise, he's going to continuously get better and I feel like Kubiak's offense fits him really well," Sanders said.

Sanders signed a three-year, $15 million contract with the Broncos last March. He earned his first trip to the Pro Bowl after totaling 101 catches for 1,404 yards and nine touchdowns -- all career highs.

Tamme said on Sirius XM NFL radio he'd love a chance to be back in Denver. His production over the last few years has declined. In 2012, Tamme had 52 catches for 555 yards and two touchdowns, but in 2014, he had just 14 catches for 109 yards and two touchdowns. He made $1.25 million in 2014.

Kenny Anunike

Injury

Elbow - IR. Out for season

No Updates

Kapri Bibbs

News

The Broncos elevated running back Jeremy Stewart from the practice squad to the 53-man active roster on Saturday, the Denver Post reports. In a corresponding move, the Broncos waived running back Kapri Bibbs.

Denver needed some depth at running back with Montee Ball and Ronnie Hillman both ruled out for Week 12 with injuries. Stewart is expected to be the No. 3 running back Sunday at home against Miami.

Louis Vasquez

News

Broncos running back Ronnie Hillman is active Week 9 against the Patriots.

Thompson played in 15 games for Denver this season, averaging 5.0 yards per carry with three touchdowns. He was considered probable on the team's final injury report of the week with hip and knee injuries.

The Broncos are currently 9 1/2-point favorites against the Colts Sunday.

Kubiak's zone-blocking offense is running-back friendly, which could benefit Anderson moving forward. Anderson started last season as the No. 3 running back on the depth chart before emerging as the top back with 849 yards rushing, 324 yards receiving and 10 touchdowns in 15 games (seven starts). He will enter next season as the team's No. 1 back, though he'll have to fight off challenges from Montee Ball and Ronnie Hillman.

The two sides opened contract talks last month but a deal appeared to be on life support before general manager John Elway became personally involved in the discussions. Harris ranks as the No. 1 cornerback in the league, according to Pro Football Focus, and passers have managed just a 46.9 quarterback rating when challenging the Denver cornerback. He's also been in the top 10 of the same rating system among all cornerbacks in 2012 and 2013.

According to The Denver Post, the Broncos and Manning are working together on a restructured contract. Manning is slated to make $19 million per season in 2015 and 2016. The Broncos could be working on this deal to create some space to bring back receiver Demaryius Thomas and/or tight end Julius Thomas, both of which will be free agents.

The restructuring of the deal is perhaps why Manning has yet to make an announcement that he's returning for the 2015 season.

McManus lost his job to Connor Barth in Week 13, after connecting on just 9 of 13 field goal attempts this season. Barth is expected to continue handling field goal duties, while McManus is expected to handle kickoffs for the Broncos.

Welker was reportedly weighing retirement, but he rebuffed those rumors when he told the Denver Post Monday that he's "getting ready for 2015."

Welker will become an unrestricted free agent in March, and Kubiak added that he would "love to have him back" with the Broncos. The 33-year-old, who has dealt with a number of concussions during his career, is coming off a season in which he hauled in 49 passes for 464 yards and two touchdowns. He has 890 catches for 9,822 yards in his 12-year career.

Julius Thomas

News

The Broncos will not use their franchise tag on TE Julius Thomas. The team instead tagged WR Demaryius Thomas.

Julius Thomas will be able to become a free agent on March 10. He had 43 catches for 489 yards and 12 touchdowns last year. Thomas made $645,000 salary last year.

Omar Bolden

News

Broncos running back Ronnie Hillman is active Week 9 against the Patriots.

Manning came into the contest listed as probable due to a thigh injury. He was never really expected to miss the contest. Sanders was listed as questionable with a hip issue. He was a limited participant in practice all week.

Despite finishing his season on injured reserve with a knee injury that required surgery, teams have expressed interest in linebacker Nate Irving, a source told ESPN.

Irving played for the Broncos in 2014, but suffered a torn ACL in November, which required surgery. He will become a free agent in March.

Injury

Knee - IR. Out for season

Aaron Brewer

News

Four Broncos who were listed as probable are active for Monday night's game against the Raiders. They are safety Omar Bolden (shoulder), linebacker Aaron Brewer (rib), tight end Jacob Tamme (undisclosed) and safety Duke Ihenacho (ankle).

"We're aggressive," Phillips said. "Defensive players, they’re aggressive by nature. I think you take something away from them when you don’t let them be." Phillips clarified that he won't necessarily get blitz-happy, but said he would have an "attack defense. That’s the way players like to play," Phillips said. "You get the best results out of that and I think you play the best that way so we’ll be that way."

Phillips' strategy should be a welcome addition in Denver. Former defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio was often criticized for the team's lack of aggression on defense. Phillips already has the support of Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware.

"This defense has the players to do it, we need just to get in the lab and figure out how to be better," Miller said. "Because we had moments where we showed what we can do, but we didn’t do it enough, myself included, I know that."

Ware added, "we feel like there’s more we can do. We want every play to be hard on the quarterback."

Manning came into the contest listed as probable due to a thigh injury. He was never really expected to miss the contest. Sanders was listed as questionable with a hip issue. He was a limited participant in practice all week.

Manning came into the contest listed as probable due to a thigh injury. He was never really expected to miss the contest. Sanders was listed as questionable with a hip issue. He was a limited participant in practice all week.

"We're aggressive," Phillips said. "Defensive players, they’re aggressive by nature. I think you take something away from them when you don’t let them be." Phillips clarified that he won't necessarily get blitz-happy, but said he would have an "attack defense. That’s the way players like to play," Phillips said. "You get the best results out of that and I think you play the best that way so we’ll be that way."

Phillips' strategy should be a welcome addition in Denver. Former defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio was often criticized for the team's lack of aggression on defense. Phillips already has the support of Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware.

"This defense has the players to do it, we need just to get in the lab and figure out how to be better," Miller said. "Because we had moments where we showed what we can do, but we didn’t do it enough, myself included, I know that."

Ware added, "we feel like there’s more we can do. We want every play to be hard on the quarterback."

Manning came into the contest listed as probable due to a thigh injury. He was never really expected to miss the contest. Sanders was listed as questionable with a hip issue. He was a limited participant in practice all week.

Thompson played in 15 games for Denver this season, averaging 5.0 yards per carry with three touchdowns. He was considered probable on the team's final injury report of the week with hip and knee injuries.

The Broncos are currently 9 1/2-point favorites against the Colts Sunday.

Sanders and the Broncos were eliminated by the Colts in the AFC divisional round. Since that loss, the Broncos' coaching staff has been overhauled, with coach John Fox and offensive coordinator Adam Gase heading to Chicago.

"Well, Gase is definitely in Chicago right now," Sanders said. "And Peyton says he's going to come back, but I'm not really worried about it, I really just want to win a Super Bowl. So that is all that is on my mind."

Gary Kubiak was hired to take Fox's place in Denver, and Sanders said that if Manning doesn't return, backup Brock Osweiler would fit "really well" in the team's new offensive scheme.

"Yeah, I think Brock is a quarterback that is on the rise, he's going to continuously get better and I feel like Kubiak's offense fits him really well," Sanders said.

Sanders signed a three-year, $15 million contract with the Broncos last March. He earned his first trip to the Pro Bowl after totaling 101 catches for 1,404 yards and nine touchdowns -- all career highs.

Curtis Marsh

News

The Eagles announced their final cuts to trim the roster to 53 players Saturday.

Thompson played in 15 games for Denver this season, averaging 5.0 yards per carry with three touchdowns. He was considered probable on the team's final injury report of the week with hip and knee injuries.

The Broncos are currently 9 1/2-point favorites against the Colts Sunday.

Steven Johnson

News

The Broncos have ruled running backs Montee Ball (groin) and Ronnie Hillman (foot) out for Sunday's game against Miami, according to Denver's final injury report for Week 12. The team also listed tight ends Virgil Green (calf) and Julius Thomas (ankle) as questionable.

Marshall was the only player ruled out prior to Sunday. Both Cornick and Ward were listed as questionable. Cornick is dealing with a toe injury. Ward has a neck issue. Thompson was actually listed as probable, but will not play. He has both hip and knee injuries. Unrein was also listed as probable. He's dealing with an illness. The other two players listed are healthy scratches.

Broncos running back Montee Ball, limited to five games last season by a groin injury, promised he'll return "ready to win the job," reports ESPN.com. Ball was the starter entering the 2014 season, but in 2015 he'll likely vie for a backup role behind C.J. Anderson, who went to the Pro Bowl.

Ball also must compete with Juwan Thompson and Ronnie Hillman in the crowded backfield. Ball was ineffective before getting hurt, averaging 3.1 yards per carry.

Elway added that most of the deals worked out with players on the verge of free agency will happen right before the league year begins in March. Knighton said earlier this week that he'd be "willing to take somewhat of a hometown discount," but he wants to be paid at a level matching his level of play.

Knighton recorded 30 total tackles and two sacks while ranking 12th out of 81 defensive tackles in overall play, per Pro Football Focus.

Tevrin Brandon

No Updates

Britton Colquitt

News

The Broncos have ruled running backs Montee Ball (groin) and Ronnie Hillman (foot) out for Sunday's game against Miami, according to Denver's final injury report for Week 12. The team also listed tight ends Virgil Green (calf) and Julius Thomas (ankle) as questionable.

Manning came into the contest listed as probable due to a thigh injury. He was never really expected to miss the contest. Sanders was listed as questionable with a hip issue. He was a limited participant in practice all week.

Broncos rookie cornerback Bradley Roby has declared himself more comfortable as an NFL player these days despite a strong start to the season in which he was nominated for Rookie of the Week honors in his debut.

Roby is coming off a performance Sunday against the Jets in which he registered three tackles and a sack of Geno Smith. He believes he has found the groove.

"I'm kind of in a rhythm on how to prepare each week, how to prepare for different receivers and things like that," he told the team website. "I think I'm a lot better. I think I have a ways to go. ... From the first game ... I'm way ahead of where I was."

Roby has recorded six passes defensed and 23 tackles in five games, none of which he started.

Josh Bush

News

The Broncos elevated safety Josh Bush to the actie roster. The third-year pro had been on the team's practice squad for a month.

Jeremy Stewart

News

The Broncos elevated running back Jeremy Stewart from the practice squad to the 53-man active roster on Saturday, the Denver Post reports. In a corresponding move, the Broncos waived running back Kapri Bibbs.

Denver needed some depth at running back with Montee Ball and Ronnie Hillman both ruled out for Week 12 with injuries. Stewart is expected to be the No. 3 running back Sunday at home against Miami.

Thompson played in 15 games for Denver this season, averaging 5.0 yards per carry with three touchdowns. He was considered probable on the team's final injury report of the week with hip and knee injuries.

The Broncos are currently 9 1/2-point favorites against the Colts Sunday.

Safety Rahim Moore intercepted a pair of deflected passes. Linebacker Brandon Marshall, replacing the injured Danny Trevathan, made a game-high 10 tackles, two for loss, and broke up a pass. Denver stuffed Luck on a 4th-and-goal sneak attempt from the 1.